I met Fahad in 2002 and wrote a story about Al-Muhajiroun, an Islamic group that was later banned in England. The group had visited Brooklyn College, where both Fahad and I attended, and Fahad was a strong supporter of the group. He even gave me the phone numbers of the leaders.

So I was less than surprised when I heard that Hashmi, then 26, was arrested in England in 2006 and accused of providing cash and military equipment for al-Qaida terrorists. He was extradited in 2007 to the U.S where he is in solitary confinement in the Special Housing Unit at Metropolitan Correction Center in downtown Manhattan.

But the case is murky, and unfortunately, other terrorism cases in the US have had more bark then bite. The trial was supposed to start in October, so I'll be writing about the radical whose only fault might be that he has some radical ideas.

Here's a short video from people who say he is being treated with cruel and unusual punishment.